2011 Jerez MotoGP: Qualifying Results

In a qualifying session filled with many crashes Saturday in Jerez (including Valentino Rossi), Casey Stoner captures his second pole in as many rounds in the 2011 MotoGP Championship.

Repsol Honda’s Stoner, who was one of those riders who suffered a crash, posted a 1:38.757; this was the fastest lap of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, and also faster than the circuit record posted by last year’s Jerez winner, Dani Pedrosa. It was also Stoner’s 24th pole in the MotoGP class.

Joining the Australian on the front row will be the two dueling Spaniards: Stoner’s teammate Pedrosa and the reigning MotoGP Champion, Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo.

Pedrosa was 0.158 of a second behind Stoner, with Lorenzo trailing Pedrosa by only 0.003 of a second. Lorenzo lead most of the hour-long qualifying MotoGP session, but Stoner began posting quicker laps towards the end, just before he crashed in a gravel trap.

These three MotoGP “Aliens” were also on the podium at the opening round in Qatar: Stoner, Lorenzo and Pedrosa, respectively.

Two Sophomore riders start the second row: the American Ben Spies on the Yamaha Factory Yamaha YZR-M1 and Marco Simoncelli on the San Carlo Gresini Honda RC212V. Taking the final spot on the third row was the third Repsol Honda rider, Andrea Dovizioso.

The fastest Ducati will start in seventh, the Pramac Racing Ducati GP11 piloted by the sole Frenchman on the grid, Randy de Puniet; he was 1.135 seconds behind Stoner. Following de Puniet, who crashed at turn 5 during qualifying, was the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 duo of the American Colin Edwards and the Brit Cal Crutchlow.

Rounding out the top 10 was Japanese rider Hiroshi Aoyama on the San Carlo Gresini Honda RC212V. Aoyama went down in the Alex Criville corner, and was knocked out. He remounted his B bike and was able to finish the qualifying session.

The Ducati Team riders were next, with Nicky Hayden in 11th and Valentino Rossi in 12th. Rossi finished as high as third in FP1 yesterday, but didn’t do too well in qualifying. He also smashed his Ducati GP11 in Turn 8, but was able to remount his spare bike to finish 12th fastest.

Hector Barbera on the Mapfre Aspar Ducati followed Rossi, then Alvaro Bautista’s replacement on the Rizla Suzuki, John Hopkins.

Taking the final three spots on the grid were Loris Capirossi (Pramac Racing), Karel Abraham (Cardion ab Motoracing) and Toni Elías (LCR Honda).

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